Bridget Thomas is a founder of Kirksville - Protect Our Pets (KV-POP), a non-profit organization dedicated to community outreach for the benefit of the area's pet dogs and cats. KV-POP helps low-income (or no-income) people spay/neuter, train, and tag their pets. Their ultimate goal is to help people care for their pets and thereby reduce the number of animals surrendered to overcrowded shelters. KV-POP also promotes adooption from a local shelter or rescue. She was a board member of the Adair County Humane Society from 2008-2013.

I can be so dog-centric. I have written nearly twenty posts for this Daily Express blog, and only two of them have focused on cats. Whoops. In my defense, I have never shared a home with a cat – not even overnight – and am only now learning to love them. It helps when a cat loves dogs. I find that charming. There have been several at the shelter who have caught my eye during photo shoots for Petfinder. When I started buying them cat treats, I knew I had reached a critical point in my pet-loving life.

So I will dedicate this post to cats. It’s Independence Day after all. Who is more independent than a cat? And as a friend recently reminded me, our feline friends don’t enjoy celebrations with explosives any more than our canine friends. When your cats come out from under the bed (sometime next week?) remember to give them some extra love and attention and wish them Happy Independence Day. They’ll understand: for a cat every day is Independence Day.

Let’s be good neighbors. Remember that fireworks are legal within city limits until 11:00 PM. That’s when us older folks go to bed. Please be respectful of each other, be safe, and have a happy holiday!